


A Little Christmas Magic

by shortie990



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Photographer, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Time, Dessert & Sweets, Donuts, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, F/F, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Motorcycles, Oral Sex, Sex Toys, Smut, Snow, Vaginal Fingering, baker - Freeform, photographer, small town
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:55:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortie990/pseuds/shortie990
Summary: What if Vauseman was stuck in the plot of a cheesy Christmas movie? How would their love story unfold? A small town. A bakery. A motorcycle. Two people who don’t know if they are destined to be with each other. And of course, a little Christmas magic! AU.
Relationships: Piper Chapman/Alex Vause
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Do not own Orange Is The New Black or any of the characters
> 
> This is just a little something to get us through this difficult time. I hope it brings you joy as it did for me while writing it.

_**~~A Little Christmas Magic~~** _

"Fuck!" cursed Alex Vause as she stepped out of the apartment complex and looked down at the sidewalk.

"Fuck!" she cursed again, not caring if she was overheard. She was pissed. She hated December. The tall brunette pursed her lips before pushing her glasses to the top of her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. A heavy sigh escaped from her lips as she shook her head a few times and shoved her glasses back onto her face, dropping her arm lazily to her side.

Not only was it fucking freezing outside, but it had snowed. It was still snowing. The brunette had planned on riding her bike. She knew she could manage to ride it against the snow-covered streets. She'd done it before but it had nearly cost her a few broken bones and bruises. She didn't know if she wanted to take that risk again. And even if she took the chance and was successful in arriving at her mother's house unscathed, Diane Vause would surely have her neck for being such a reckless idiot.

Unfortunately, the Harley Davidson was Alex's only mode of transportation and she fucking hated taking the train. She loathed it.

Snow fell softly around the brunette as she continued to ponder on what to do. Apart of her wanted to retreat back inside to the warmth of her apartment and skip out on the whole 'going home for Christmas' thing. Oh how much she wished she could do just that! But again, Diane Vause would surely have her neck. Unlike Alex, Diane loved this magical time of year and expected to share it with her only daughter.

"Fuck it!" she announced to herself as she adjusted her black rucksack on her left shoulder and descended the remaining front steps of the apartment complex. Snow crunched underneath the thick rubber sole of her beloved Doc Martins as she made her way down a side alley to where her bike was parked. She knew it wasn't the smartest place to keep her bike, but it saved her from spending a small fortune on street parking. This was one of the few things she hated about living in the city; how expensive parking can be and that's if you were even lucky enough to find an open space.

Alex found it was easier to park her bike in alleyways and little side streets sometimes when finding a decent parking space was not convenient enough.

The brunette uncovered her baby, a Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage Classic FLHC, and quickly opened one of the saddlebags and messily folded the cover inside. She then made sure that her rucksack was securely on her back before shoving a black helmet onto her head, fitting snugly over her black beanie.

Alex flexed her glove-covered hands before swinging her leg over the seat of the bike.

Moments later, the small alley filled with the loud rumble of the bike as it roared to life and Alex carefully drove it out onto the snow-covered street.

* * *

Christmas music played cheerfully from the Bluetooth speaker at the front of the bakery and drifted through the door to the kitchen.

Piper Chapman, who had a terrible singing voice, found herself singing along to the familiar beloved song as she worked away. Luckily she was by herself today, so she didn't have to feel too embarrassed about her awful singing.

The morning bake and all orders for the day were done and boxed up neatly, ready to be picked up on the table by the door. Now Piper could just spend the rest of the day focusing solely on the preparations needing to be done for the small town's upcoming Christmas Eve Festival, which was only three weeks away. It was still early, but she had over 3000 gingerbread and sugar cookies to not only bake but decorate too. It was a massive task to take on by one's self. But Piper, who loved Christmas, had volunteered for the task because she loved decorating cookies, it was for a good cause, and she was batshit ambitious at times.

All the proceeds from this year's cookie sales were going to the LGBTQ youth club that met as part of the high school's mentoring program. Half the cookies were being sold at the bakery and the other half at the town's annual Christmas Eve Festival. The bakery always did something to support a worthy cause in town every year, but this was the first time that Piper was really excited about it.

Piper had been living in the small town of Wentworth for just over three years now. She'd seen many fundraising events and had even volunteered for many of them herself. She'd seen all kinds of money raised for different things needed in town, but this was the first time that something so close to her heart was being acknowledged. Wentworth, for being a small town with only a population of just over a few hundred, was surprisingly very open-minded and accepting of everyone. Piper had hesitated at first to move from the city where she'd been working at one of the top patisseries, under one of the best pastry chefs in the country, to Wentworth to work in a small bakery/cafe. Her family and friends had thought she was crazy. Her coworkers and boss thought she was ruining her career. But in the end, Piper had made the move despite all of this. Yes, maybe it was career suicide, but Piper didn't really have any crazy dreams to become the next CakeBoss or Julia Child. Also during that time, she had been going through a bad breakup and needed something different from her life in the city. She wanted a complete change. And it had been exactly that when she'd taken a day trip one sunny, crisp fall day through the town of Wentworth and came across the help wanted sign in the window of Diane's Bakery.

At first, Piper had kept her sexuality hidden, not that she really cared what people thought of it. But she knew that people in small towns didn't always have the same open-minds as people in the city. However, it only took two weeks into living at Wentworth to find out that the town was very welcoming and could really care less about who she chose to kiss or sleep with. And that's when Piper realized she'd found the place she was supposed to be. She loved working at Diane's where she not only got to bake but she also got to help out front on occasion and actually greet and interact with customers. She was always asking them what they thought of a new recipe she was trying out or if they liked what she'd done differently that morning with the pumpkin muffins and so on.

Yes, the work was still hard, even harder probably than it had been at the patisserie. At her last job, she'd worked with a team of ten other pastry chefs plus two head chefs. But here at Diane's, it was only her really doing all the baking, except on the weekends and during school holidays when there were a couple of kids from the high school who worked at the bakery part-time. They worked mostly front of house though, but occasionally, would get their hands dirty and help Piper do small tasks like scooping out cupcake and muffin batters or roll out pie shells. Diane would also step in and help Piper when needed, but for the most part, it was just Piper in the back doing the baking.

There was the very rare occasion that the previous baker, Red, was in town that she would swing by and help Piper or not really help...more like dictate and critique Piper on what she was doing. Red was a tough, older Russian lady with vibrant red hair that had worked with Diane for ten years before moving back to Queen's to be closer to her grandkids.

Piper was in the middle of singing a very bad rendition of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and elbow deep in a mixing bowl of cookie dough when her coworker and close friend, Nicky Nichols, walked through the door with a steamy paper cup in her hand, mid-complaint when she stopped and took notice of the blonde. A slow smirk spread across her face as she came to stand beside Piper.

"You alright there, Chapman?"

* * *

Alex had been surprised when her mother called out of the blue to inform her that she was moving. It was shortly after Alex had moved away from home to share a crappy, four-bedroom house in Queens with four other people.

The news shouldn't have been a surprise to her. Alex and her mom were always moving from place to place while she was growing up. It wasn't until Alex was in high school that it seemed they had settled down for good. Alex was surprised not by the moving itself, but the location her mother was deciding to move to. Diane had always lived in the suburbs or just on the outskirts of a major city. They'd never really lived in a proper small town.

Hence when Diane informed Alex that not only was she moving, but she was moving to a small town of just a few hundred, she had been truly shocked. At that point in their lives, Diane had just won the lottery. For once in a very long time, the Vause family finally had some money to their name. Alex had thought that Diane would use the money to travel or do something she'd always dreamt about doing, like opening her own hair salon. The last thing that Alex expected was for her mother not only to move to a small town, but to also buy a rundown building and turn it into a bakery. Alex had been skeptical at first, but she knew better than to doubt her mother. Diane could do anything she put her mind to.

However, over the past thirteen years since Diane had moved to Wentworth, Alex had only been up to see the bakery a handful of times. And it had been at least four years since she'd come up for Christmas. It wasn't like Alex didn't see her mother. She did, but it was usually the other way around. Diane was always coming to see Alex in the city or Alex would fly her out wherever she was shooting that month and so on.

You see, Alex was an extremely talented photographer. Her work kept her constantly busy, traveling all over the world to and from her home and office in New York and Los Angeles, respectively.

Alex usually spent the month of December in some remote area of the world doing a high-end fashion shoot. It was usually always last minute, which was something her mother hated at first, but over the years she'd learned to expect her daughter's work schedule. They always celebrated in either early or late December. There had been one year when Alex had been out of the country for the entire month and they didn't get a chance to celebrate until late January. Alex thought her mother was crazy for continuing to keep all the decorations and tree up until they properly celebrated together, no matter how late or early it was.

It had begun to snow again, with light flurries falling as Alex drove her motorcycle into Wentworth. She could feel people stop and stare at her as the motorcycle noisily made its way down the main street of town. Her plan was to stop off at the bakery first, then make the short distance over to her mother's house. Usually, Alex would go straight there, but Diane wanted Alex to stop by the bakery and see what she'd done to the place since she'd last been there. Diane also wanted her to meet the new baker or newish baker, she guessed. Alex knew it had been some time since Red had left Diane's, but she couldn't exactly remember how long.

Alex knew that it was awful of her not to remember these details of her mother's life clearly, but she did have a pretty hectic life of her own. Her job kept her very busy and always required so much of her attention.

Luckily, unlike the city, Alex was able to find street parking right out front of the bakery. The brunette couldn't help but smile at herself for this small victory as she turned off the bike and took off her helmet. Alex could still feel people's eyes on her, but she chose to ignore them. She knew they were staring because not only had she just drove a Harley into town, but also in the snow and she was a chick. She resisted the urge to give the old couple who were currently gawking at her the finger as she placed her helmet under her arm and walked towards the bakery.

The sweet, comforting smells of cinnamon, baked goods and coffee wafted over Alex as she stepped into the bakery. She closed her eyes briefly and inhaled the scent before opening them again. She found it still surreal that Diane owned this place. The only baking attempt that Diane ever made while Alex was growing up came from a box, and was nothing like the goodness that was glistening at Alex through the display case.

"You just passing through? "

Alex tore her eyes away from a syrupy-looking thing and up to an even more delicious-looking thing.

She blinked and adjusted her glasses; giving herself a moment to continue to look at the cute girl...no not girl, the _woman_ behind the counter. "No, I'm not passing through," replied the brunette with a smile.

"Visiting then?"

"Yeah...what gave me away?" asked Alex with a slight tease to her voice. This was the last thing that Alex expected- a cute girl to flirt with when she came into the bakery. Every other time that Alex had been here, there was some teenager working the till or Nicky. This beautiful, Katy Perry-lookalike was definitely not a teenager or Nicky.

She watched with enjoyment as the blonde blushed slightly and gave her a little smile, indicating she was embarrassed for her nosiness.

"I'm sorry," apologized the blonde. "I'm not usually this nosy, but this being such a small town...I've just never seen you before."

Alex just stared at the blonde for a second, noting the deep blue of her eyes before letting out a raspy chuckle of amusement. Usually, all this questioning would bother her and if it was coming from someone else...someone one less pretty, then she'd get pissed off, but that was the last thing that Alex was at the moment. The brunette was rather highly amused and intrigued by this woman behind the counter.

"What gave me away?" asked Alex with interest.

"The helmet," replied the blonde, flashing a brilliant smile. "No one in town has a motorcycle that I know of or if they do...they surely don't dare to ride it in the snow!"

"Are you saying I'm crazy?"

"No. No! Of course not! I'm...I'm just saying that no one in Wentworth would have the balls to ride in the snow."

"It's ok, I'm just messing with you. I think I'm a little crazy myself, but I like to live on the edge…you know?" Alex raised her eyebrows and smirked at the blonde.

The blonde returned the smile and the two women were quiet for a second.

"So...what can I get for you? You surely didn't just stop off here to be questioned by some local lady about your business here in town and your mental state for riding in the snow!"

"Oh...I actually didn't come here for anything. I'm meeting someone."

"Oh. Well, surely you'll want something to sip on while you wait?" The blonde flashed Alex that sexy little smile again. How could she resist?

Alex was silent as her eyes briefly swept over the chalkboard menu on the wall behind the blonde. She really hadn't meant to order anything when she came in here, but a hot beverage did seem appealing now; especially after her body was beginning to thaw from the cold ride up.

"Just an Americano. Small, please."

"Nothin' to eat? I saw you eyeing up the Chelsea buns!"

Alex narrowed her eyes slightly at the mention of being watched before smirking again at the blonde. "I have no fucking idea what a Chelsea bun is, but sure. Give me one!"

"You won't regret it!" The blonde smiled triumphantly at Alex as she reached for a brown paper pastry bag.

Alex didn't say another word as she watched. The blonde opened the display case and reached for a Chelsea bun with a set of tongs. It wasn't until then that she noticed there was Christmas music playing in the background. She really shouldn't be surprised by that. It was the first of December. Thanksgiving was over, so why shouldn't there be Christmas music playing? Growing up, her mom was always decorating the house on the first of the month. So it shouldn't be any different at the bakery. But still, the brunette was taken aback just a little. Maybe she'd just forgotten what time of year it was, she reasoned to herself.

"What are you smirking about?" asked the blonde, drawing Alex out of her thoughts.

Alex touched her lips briefly and stared at the other woman for a second. Alex hadn't realized she'd been smiling and wasn't used to being called out for it by a total stranger.

"Christmas music," stated Alex as she lowered her hand. "Isn't it a little early?"

"Early?! It's the first of December. It's the perfect time to be playing it."

Alex let out a deep laugh at realizing how much this girl sounded like her mother. Of course, she wasn't going to say any of that to her. Alex knew that if she wanted any chance of leaving the bakery with this girl's number, she couldn't mention her mother. The brunette was suddenly looking forward to her stay here in town. She was always glad to see her mother, but wasn't really looking forward to staying here for a full month. Alex wasn't good at taking time off work. As much as she loved her downtime, she truly loved working and being on a shoot. The longest she'd gone without working had been a week or two. Never in her entire career had she gone a full month without working. But now, with the prospect of maybe, hopefully getting this girl's number, things were brightening for Alex.

Their hands brushed lightly against one another as the blonde passed Alex the pastry bag.

"Why don't you go grab a table and I'll bring your coffee to you."

"Don't I have to pay first?" asked Alex with a quick cock of her eyebrow.

"First-time customers are on the house."

Alex was pretty sure that was a lie. Diane was generous but not that generous to be giving out free coffee and pastries to first-time customers. Yes, a majority of the bakery's business was local, however, the town did get a large tourist population during the summer and fall months with the leaves changing and so on. If every tourist that came in got free stuff, Diane would make no actual money. That was just bad business sense.

The brunette frowned slightly, not sure what to say or how to respond really. Yes, if her mother was here, she wouldn't allow her to pay either. However, it still felt weird not putting some money down towards her purchase. So, instead, she decided to offer something she knew best, a flirty remark.

"ALEX!"

Alex looked over to her right where her mother had suddenly appeared from behind a door.

"Ma!" Her face broke out into a wide grin at seeing Diane. It felt good to see her mom after months of just texts and phone calls.

The two Vause women looked at one another for a second longer before hugging tightly.

"Did you ride that bloody bike here? I thought you were going to take the bus…" asked Diane disapprovingly as she held her daughter at arms' length and took in the appearance of her, clear blue eyes coming to land on the helmet tucked under Alex's arm.

"I hate the bus. My bike is quicker," complained Alex, trying not to sound like her teenage self.

"It's fucking snowing!"

Alex suppressed the need to roll her eyes, again trying not to act like her teenage self. She knew her mom was just doing what she'd always done, act like a mother. But she couldn't help but feel embarrassed as her mother continued to fuss over her in front of the blonde.

"It's fine, Ma. I'm here, aren't I? In one piece too! The roads were clear."

"I really wish you would get rid of that fucking bike. Or at least not ride it in the middle of a snowstorm."

"It's hardly a snowstorm out there."

Diane Vause just glared at her daughter in disbelief, her eyebrows raised in that signature Vause way before sighing. The features of her face softened as she raised a hand to the side of Alex's face and caressed it gently before dropping it to her side.

"It's good to see you, Kid."

Alex's eyes shined as her lips curved into a small smile. "It's good to see you too, Ma."

Mother and daughter stayed like this for a second longer before something caught Diane's attention.

"Piper!" Diane took a step away from Alex and was now addressing the blonde behind the counter.

Alex's eyes followed to where Diane was looking. She'd forgotten about the girl behind the counter who she'd been flirty with just moments ago. Her interest piqued once again as her eyes shifted towards the blonde who was saying something to her mother.

"Let me introduce you to my daughter, Alex." Diane had told Piper all about her world-traveling photographer of a daughter. She was extremely proud of her and told everyone about her, really. However, Diane hadn't told her daughter anything about Piper and if she had, Alex forgot about it.

Piper finished making Alex's drink, then looked from Diane on to Alex, sliding the paper cup towards her as she did so. She gave Alex a small smile as the two women finally learned each other's names. Piper, of course, had known who Alex was the moment she stepped into the bakery. She'd seen pictures of Alex while over at Diane's home numerous times and of course, Diane had told her to expect Alex to come.

"Hello, Alex."

"Hello, Piper."

* * *

It had begun to snow as Alex and Diane left the bakery an hour later, pleasantly filled with coffee and delicious dessert.

The caffeine and sugar had done wonders for Alex after her cold ride up from the city. It had given her a wave of energy she hadn't been aware she needed. As she ate her ooey gooey Chelsea bun and sipped her rich Americano, she listened to her mother talk about the upcoming weeks leading to Christmas. Diane didn't have a lot planned for them. She was pretty busy with the bakery at this time of year. There was just a big dinner planned for Christmas Day with a few people from the bakery and in town and some family too. Diane was so happy to have Alex there with her for the holiday season.

Of course, as her mother talked though, Alex couldn't help but steal glances up at the till where Piper was still working. Within mere minutes of being introduced to her, Alex had learned that Piper was only filling in for the cashier who was on break. Piper wasn't a barista, but the baker who had taken over for Red. Piper was the one responsible for the sugary cinnamon-infused pastry currently in her mouth. Alex had been interested in Piper before learning about her being the baker. Now her interest in the blonde had piqued even further.

Now at home with Diane, Alex began unpacking the very small amount of clothing and toiletries she'd brought with her. She knew she wouldn't need a lot, figuring she would be spending most of her time at the house in her sweats working on her laptop. If she did need to go somewhere, she had full access to Diane's laundry room. The only other two items she'd brought with her besides clothes, were her DSLR camera and her laptop. She didn't want to come off as one of those cheesy cliches where artists or photographers are portrayed with having a camera or a sketchbook on them at all times, but she was so used to traveling with her camera that it only felt natural to bring it with her, even though she probably wouldn't be touching it. If her mom wanted her to take a few shots over the holidays, Alex would probably just use her phone. She doubted she would be having any photoshoots.

Alex looked around the small guest room that was hardly anything like her childhood bedroom. The walls were a soft grey color and the queen sized bed took up a good portion of the room. It wasn't much, but she figured that she was the only one who used the room. She wasn't aware of her mom ever having guests staying over besides her.

The brunette checked her phone quickly for any work related things before leaving it to charge on the nightstand with her laptop. She'd changed out of her riding gear and was now dressed in a cosy pair of grey joggers and a black, long sleeve thermal shirt. She twisted her long, dark locks into a side braid as she left the room and made her way downstairs.

"Silent Night" was playing from the small Echo Dot Smart Speaker that Alex had gifted to her mother the previous Christmas.

Diane looked up from her book which she was reading in the breakfast nook of the kitchen and smiled at Alex. It didn't seem to matter how old Alex got or how much time had passed between visits, nothing could replace the happiness she felt when she saw her daughter in her home.

"All settled in?" she asked, her Jersey accent coming through. She bookmarked her place in her book before rising to her feet.

"Yeah," replied Alex with a slight nod of her head. She adjusted her black framed glasses on her nose as she came to stand beside her mother. Mother and daughter smiled at one another before Diane was pulling Alex into a hug. Alex stiffened slightly at the sudden embrace. It had been unexpected, but not unwelcome. Barely a second passed before she was melting into the familiar warmth of her mother's body, pressing her nose into the curve of her mother's neck and inhaling the scent of her childhood. Hints of peppermint, vanilla and coffee filling her nose.

The hug didn't last for long before Diane was pulling away, her hands coming up to cup the sides of Alex's face. Clear blue looked into green for a moment as if Diane was memorizing every inch of Alex's face. Not that she needed to do so. She could always picture her daughter's face clearly. Like any mother, she knew her child like the back of her hand. Again, it didn't seem to matter how much time had passed or how Alex's face changed ever so slightly with age. She would always know it, right up until the day she dies.

Alex blinked and cleared her throat slightly, "Ma." Alex didn't mind the hugs, but she was getting embarrassed with the way her mother was staring at her. Alex didn't do well with sap. Even as a child, she'd always had somewhat of a rough exterior.

Diane let out a short bark of a laugh before removing her hands away from Alex and grinning. She didn't say another word as she turned her back suddenly on the brunette and made her way over to the fridge. It was time to make some dinner.

Alex adjusted her glasses before running a hand down her braid taking a seat at the breakfast nook.

"What's for dinner?" she asked.

* * *

It had begun to snow again as Piper sank further down into the cushions of her couch and turned the page of the novel she was currently reading in her hands.

She chewed on her bottom lip as she focused on the words on the page. Christmas music played softly in the background from one of those yule log channels on TV. She wished that they had the fake fireplace station available to watch all year long. She not only loved having the music play in the background, but the sounds of the fire crackling and hissing as well. Piper loved a good, real fire. She'd grown up with a wood burning fireplace and missed the warmth of it on cold snowy nights like now. Her current rental didn't have one, so she had to be a little bit creative with a woodsy-smelling candle, the yule log channel, and a small space heater. It wasn't perfect, but if Piper closed her eyes and really focused on those childhood days, it was just almost the same. Almost.

She didn't do this little ritual every night, of course. Most nights, she didn't have the time or just plain couldn't be bothered. However, with the snow falling outside, Piper was in a good mood. Not only was the festive season upon them, but Piper had met someone.

Since moving to Wentworth, Piper had dated off and on. She wasn't a saint, by any means, but it had been a while since she'd been in any sort of real relationship. And she wasn't really looking for one now if she was being honest. She liked being unattached. Of course, coming home to someone every day did appeal to her, but she just hadn't found her person yet. Or so her old college roommate and best friend, Polly, keeps on telling her. Polly had gotten lucky though. She'd met her partner, Larry, early in college and sealed the deal soon after that. That was around the same time when Piper was beginning to realize and accept her bisexuality.

Despite their obvious differences, Polly and Piper were still very good friends. Piper was always the one baking Polly's kids' birthday cakes and helping with other events.

Ever since leaving the bakery and coming home, Piper had been analyzing in her head. She'd known from the moment that Alex had stepped through those doors that she was Diane's daughter. Not only from seeing pictures, but at how she resembled a younger version of her, as well. Piper had never really given Alex much thought, having never met her before today. She'd known that Diane's daughter was indeed queer and usually this would lead to some kind of set up. Straight friends and family members always seemed to want to play match-maker for her when they found out her sexuality and knew another girl or a person like her. But Diane had never done that to Piper or anyone else that Piper knew of. She weighed out the possibilities in her mind. She didn't know if it was because her boss didn't think it was appropriate, or maybe she didn't think Piper was a good enough match for her daughter, or maybe Alex already had a partner. Piper had no clue. She didn't know anything about Alex's situation.

However, as soon as she'd seen Alex step inside the door, all that changed. Piper suddenly wanted to know everything about her. Not only was she physically attracted to the brunette with those piercing green eyes and dark hair, but she was innately drawn to her in some way. She couldn't yet place it, but there just seemed to be something special about Alex that had piqued Piper's interest. That was something that hadn't happened in quite a while if she was being honest with herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex continued to see and flirt with Piper for the next few days at the bakery.

After that first meeting, Alex found herself popping into the bakery more and more. She hadn’t originally planned or thought about going to the bakery that often. She’d first planned on staying at her mom’s house for the most part, working on her laptop more than taking walks in town.

But by day 2, Alex found herself going stir crazy in her mother’s house. Whether it was the snowy landscape outside the window or the pull to go see Piper, who the hell knows? But once again, Alex found herself bundled up and bracing for the cold temperatures outside, and getting on her bike. This would become a habit over the next week or so. She knew she probably seemed like some poor, infatuated loser hovering around the bakery all day ordering numerous cups of coffee.

However, no one really paid her much attention while she was at the bakery. Everyone pretty much thought that she was there to see her mom. Plus, it turned out that the bakery had pretty good WiFi. So by the end of the week, Alex found herself bringing her laptop with her and getting some work done. And if, by chance, she saw Piper, that was just a plus. Sometimes, their paths didn’t cross. Being the only baker, Piper was pretty busy in the back and didn’t come out to the front. But when the blonde did make an appearance at the front counter, it made it all worth the waiting.

It was snowing yet again as Alex made the trek into town on her bike. She had plans to meet her mom for lunch at the bakery. Another sort of habit she’d fallen into since coming home for the holidays. She was running early though. The brunette had about twenty minutes or so to spare before she had to meet Diane. Alex planned on using this time to get some Christmas shopping done. She’d brought a few things with her from her travels abroad for her mom, but she didn’t really count those as proper gifts. Alex liked to spoil her mom when it came to presents.

She knew her mom had a reasonably comfortable life now, way more comfortable than they had been during Alex’s childhood. However, that didn’t stop Alex from buying her mom gifts that she knew she either wouldn’t buy for herself or had always wanted.

Alex had explored the town before and knew that there were some shops near the bakery where she’d be able to find the perfect gift for Diane. There was the vintage clothing boutique on the main street that always had some one-of-a-kind thing that caught Diane’s eye whenever she and Alex had gone in. There was also a jewelry store that Diane was always looking in the windows of, but never went inside. Alex had also taken notice of a few new shops in town that she was curious to see.

Alex parked her bike outside of the bakery before setting off towards the vintage clothing boutique. The shop was only a few doors down from the bakery. Even though she had only twenty minutes to spare and usually that wouldn’t be enough time to shop, Alex was feeling pretty confident that she’d be able to find something. The shop’s name was Morello’s Fine Finds. It was run by Lorna Morello and her sister, Franny. They were two small girls straight out of Brooklyn, but had escaped from the city to Wentworth like everyone else here. Franny had come for love and Lorna, who didn’t want to be left behind in her parent’s home, had followed.

The bell above the door rang out as Alex stepped into the heavily cinnamon-scented shop. She stood at the entrance of the small cluttered shop taking it all in. The shop was the same as she remembered it being. Every possible surface and corner was covered in some sort of colorful fabric or object. It was almost like stepping into a treasure box.

“HELLO THERE!” A small squeaky voice called out from somewhere in the back.

“Hi!” called back Alex. She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, being careful not to knock anything over as she moved further into the shop.

Suddenly, a petite, cheery face appeared from behind a rack of clothes. “Sorry about the mess, Hon. A shipment just came in and you know.”

Alex recognized the woman immediately as Lorna Morello.

“It’s all good.”

“You’re a new face, yet...I think I’ve seen you before.”

“Yes. I’m from out of town, visiting.”

Lorna squinted her eyes as if that would make her see Alex more clearly. There was a brief awkward pause in the air before Lorna’s face broke out into a gleeful look of recognition.

“Oh yeah! I’ve seen you before. You’re Diane’s girl...Alice?”

“It’s Alex, actually,” she corrected the shop owner.

“Oh right. Alex.” Lorna’s eye crinkled again, her signature red lips turning up into a smile. “Well it’s nice to see you, again. You haven’t been in town in a while with being off filming all those famous people…”

Alex just smiled politely at Lorna, allowing her to ramble on for a few moments longer about her assumed job of working with celebrities before excusing herself to shop.

Ten minutes later, Alex emerged back into the cold with a purple shopping bag dangling from her wrist. She stood outside the shop for a second allowing herself to get use to the cold air before her phone began going off.

Sighing, Alex reached for her phone in the front pocket of her coat and stared down at the screen. It was a text from Diane saying that she was running 10 minutes late for lunch. Blowing out a puff of hot air into the cold, she quickly replied back before slipping the phone back into her coat.

The brunette slowly began to walk down the street in the opposite direction she’d come in. Now that she had a little more time to kill, she was able to wander around a bit longer. She buried her face into the neck of her scarf as a sudden wind blew harshly into her face. She swore, but continued on with her walk.

She debated about going into the jewelry store. She wasn’t sure if jewelry would be right for her mom. She’d bought her a beautiful scarf at Lorna’s just now and thought that should be enough. She didn’t want to go too wild on gifts. They usually only exchanged a present or two with each other. That was a tradition that came from years of not being able to afford a lot of presents and it had stuck with them. However, the one or two presents had become much more lavish though.

As thoughts of her childhood filled her head, Alex crossed the street and headed back in the general direction of the bakery. Since she had time, she figured she would visit the food market that was across from the bakery. She remembered seeing a green pine floral arrangement the other day that she thought Diane might like.

The soothing voice of Michael Buble spilled out of the shop and onto the sidewalk as Alex approached it. She wasn’t usually a flower person and neither was Diane. But there was just something about the flower arrangements outside the shop that were calling her name. They weren’t flowers per se. They were more like plants, Alex thought. Whatever they were, she thought they would look nice and festive in the house or maybe out on the porch. As she decided on which one looked better, someone came out of the store and ran straight into her as she turned.

“FUCK!”

“SHIT! I’m soo sorry!”

“I wasn’t paying attention-”

“No, It’s my fault. I was in the way--”

“Alex? Oh my gosh! Hi!” Piper nervously tucked a stray blonde hair behind her ear as she smiled up at the brunette.

“Hi,” replied Alex. The two women stood there for a second or two just looking at each other before Alex broke the silence. “What are you doing outside of the bakery? I’ve never seen you outside its walls before. I assumed you just lived there like one of Santa’s elves.”

Piper laughed at being compared to an elf. It wasn’t the first time that someone had commented on her loyalty to her work. “No, contrary to popular belief, I do leave the bakery every now and then. I’m actually just picking up ingredients.” She gestured to the tote bag slung over her shoulder. “We ran out of molasses and I’m not getting a shipment until the end of the week.”

“So you decided to hoard all the molasses in town?” Alex fidgeted with her glasses as she threw Piper a flirtatious smile. “What if one of the old bitties in town decides to make gingerbread or something?”

“Just call me the molasses hoarder then!” Piper could feel her heart begin to race as Alex continued to stare at her with those green eyes. She had been keeping her distance from the brunette over the last couple of days. She’d been trying to remain professional. But there was nothing holding her back now as Alex stood in front of her. Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach as she tried to think of something to say next. She had a list of things to do back at the bakery and wasn’t supposed to be gone long, but she found herself trying to think of excuses to stay and talk to Alex, only if it was for a few minutes longer.

“Are you Christmas shopping?” she asked as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and looked down at a recognizable lilac colored shopping bag from Morello’s.

“Oh...yeah. I had time to kill before lunch and I thought I would get a little something for Diane.”

“I see.” Piper nodded her head enthusiastically. “What did you get her?”

“Just a scarf.”

“Practical. Diane will like that. She likes a good scarf.”

Alex cocked an eyebrow and tried to stop the corners of her lips from turning upwards into a smirk, but failed. Her eyes grew bright with amusement as the blonde continued to ramble over her words. Alex knew that her mom liked not only practical gifts, but scarves as well.

“I know. She’s my mom.”

“Of course, of course. You already know this.”

“Hey, I’m just fucking messing with you. I like to see you all frazzled like that. You’re fucking adorable.”

Piper did a series of things after hearing this bold statement from Alex. She blushed, then looked away briefly before meeting the other woman’s eye again. Piper was used to getting hit on. This wasn’t new. What was new though, was that this was her boss’s daughter. A part of her wanted to melt into Alex’s smoldering looks, but the other part, the rule-following part, was holding her back from doing so. Alex was just a passing ship. She knew, from what Diane had told her, that Alex was just here visiting until the New Year. Then she would be off again on her world travels. Piper didn’t mind passing ships. She’d had a number of short-lived affairs over the years. That wasn’t the problem though.

The problem was...well, there were actually two problems really. One, being that Alex was her boss’s daughter. And two, Piper didn’t really need the distraction. 70% of her time at the moment was spent at the bakery. The other 30% was for eating and sleeping, pretty much. If it wasn’t the busiest time of the year for her, she’d be open for a little romance. However, she barely had time for herself during this time of year, let alone for getting to know someone else.

“Well...it was nice to see you, Alex. I really should be getting back to the bakery. I have about a fucking thousand gingerbread people to roll out and bake.”

“Don’t you mean men? Gingerbread men!?”

“Hahaha...no. It’s people now. You know… to be politically correct and such.”

“Oh. Oookay,” murmured Alex in slight amusement at the blonde.

“Bye, Alex.”

“Bye Piper.”

Piper gave Alex a small smile before she began to walk away and head across the street to the bakery. As she did so, she couldn’t help but turn briefly and look back over her shoulder one last time at Alex, who was watching her.

* * *

“Yo! Vause!”

“Fuck!”

Alex, who had been concentrating on editing a photo, jumped slightly in her seat in surprise at the sudden voice in her ear. She turned a mere inch before coming face to face with a smug-looking Nicky.

“What the fuck, Nicky?” Alex glared at the other woman, who was looking all too pleased with herself for her rude interruption.

“What? That was the only way I could think of to get your attention besides throwing cookies at you. Which I don’t think your mom, my boss, would be too fucking pleased about!” explained Nicky as she sat down in the empty seat across from Alex, not bothering to wait for an invitation to join Alex. It was just half-past five now and the bakery traffic was dead. They would be closing up soon.

“No. I don’t think Diane would be pleased about that either.” Alex pushed her glasses off of her face before closing her laptop down and peering over at Nicky.

“What are you still doing here?”

“I’m working. The bakery has better internet than at my mother’s house.”

“We’re closing soon.”

“I know that. And don’t fucking worry, I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“So you weren’t waiting here to see a certain blonde that we both know is still in the back working away?”

Alex raised her eyebrows at the wild-maned women in disbelief. Alex and Nicky hardly knew each other beyond having a shared love of women and sarcasm. They’d always gotten along since the first day they met, but since Alex was hardly ever in town, they barely saw each other more than once a year. However, that didn’t stop either of them from bantering like old school friends.

“I have no idea what you’re fucking talking about.”

“Vause. Come on. Don’t play stupid. It doesn’t fucking suit you. I know what you’re doing.”

“Oh do you? And what is that exactly?”

“Waiting around here all day “pretending” to fucking work while you hope to catch a glimpse of Chapman.”

“You do know I have actual fucking work to do. I’m not some stupid, fucking school girl hiding out in the library, spying on my crush.”

“Pretty fucking close though.”

Alex rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat, looking briefly away from Nicky in annoyance. She knew what Nicky was pointing out wasn’t far from the truth. She knew she didn’t have to sit here every day like she had, working on her laptop. Most of the work didn’t require the internet. She could easily stay at home. Subconsciously, she knew she was just lingering around the bakery, pretending to work just to maybe get a chance to talk to Piper. Normally, she wouldn’t be playing it this cool with a girl she was attracted to. Alex was a bit of a player and she wasn’t ashamed of it. Alex liked sex and liked having fun. She was a pretty confident person and knew she could get anyone she wanted.

But she was holding this part of herself back when it came to Piper. She didn’t know how her mother would feel about it though. She knew that Diane thought highly of the blonde and probably wouldn’t mind. She might even actually be secretly thrilled with the idea. Diane had never really approved of any of Alex’s past girlfriends, not that she brought many home. Alex could sense that Diane and Piper had a good relationship with each other and that the initial part of winning over the mother would not be needed here. But with them already having some sort of relationship, Alex knew that Diane was probably very protective of Piper, and wouldn’t want her to get hurt. Not that Alex intended to hurt Piper. It all came down to the distance thing. Alex wouldn’t be staying in Wentworth long enough to establish any sort of real relationship with Piper.

Alex sighed as she shoved her glasses back onto her face and glared over at Nicky, who was still wearing that grin.

“What?” snapped Alex, irritation once again rising in her.

“Come out tonight.”

“Excuse me?”

“Fucking come out tonight. A couple of us are meeting up at Boo’s Club tonight for a couple of drinks. Come with. It’s burlesque night.”

Alex didn’t know who this “couple of us” meant, but she was intrigued. She’d been to Boo’s Club once before and remembered enjoying herself. She didn’t have any real plans for the night, except for watching TV and maybe playing a game of Scramble with Diane. It’s what she’d done on all the previous nights since arriving in town. She could use a night out, she thought. She wouldn’t go hard, just a drink or two and watch a couple of girls do a sexy dance. She needed this. She needed something to get her mind off Piper.

“Ok. What time?”

“9.”

And with that, Nicky left Alex to be. The wild-maned woman did have a bakery to close up. Alex turned her head and watched as Nicky went to retrieve a broom and began to sweep up, before quickly gathering her laptop and slipping it carefully into her bag. She next drained the remainder of her cold latte, making a face at the awful taste before shoving on her jacket and scarf. She called out her goodbye to Nicky before stepping out into the chilly night air.

* * *

The thump of the mixer churning ingredients filled the kitchen area as Nicky came in.

“Chapman? What the fuck is this?”

“Well, hello to you too!” Piper glared over at Nicky in her winter gear, which consisted of a black wool jacket that hit the short-statured women mid-calf, a black and white striped scarf woven around her neck, and a black beanie.

“Why aren’t you fucking ready to go?”

“Go where?” The blonde creased her eyebrows in confusion as she brought the mixer to a stop. She wiped the back of her hands on her apron before lowering the bowl of the mixer down and heaving it onto the workstation.

“Go fucking home! The bakery is closed you know.

“That doesn’t mean my work stops. I have another round of gingerbread people to bake-off.”

“It’s Thursday though.”

“So?”

“Come on, Chapman! We always go out on Thursdays. It’s the burlesque night.”

“Yes and it was burlesque night last Thursday too. And will be next week as well. I can miss one week, Nicky.”

“But it’s the Holiday show tonight! You can’t fucking miss that. It’s the best show of the year. Don’t you want to see if they do the Jingle Bell Rock dance from Mean Girls again?”

“That dance is great once or twice. But it’s been overdone, don’t you think. I’d much rather see someone do a provocative dance to Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song or something not as mainstream.”

“Well, come out tonight, Chapman, and find out. “

“I can’t Nicky. I have to get these cookies done.”

“The festival isn’t until the fucking 24th. That’s like weeks away.”

“Yes, but I’ve got other things to do make besides cookies in that time.”

“Come on Chapman. Live a fucking little. Tomorrow’s Friday. Isn’t Daya in?”

“Yes?”

“Well...why don’t you get her to do all the morning bake stuff and you can just focus on your damn precious ginger men?”

“It’s people! Not men. It’s pretentious to think of them as all men. You shouldn’t assume someone’s gender.”

“It’s a fucking cookie, Chapman! They don’t identify as anything!”

Piper just threw Nicky a look but chose to remain quiet on the subject of gender identity. She knew if she opened that can of worms with Nicky that they both would never get out of there.

“Anyways… cookies aside. Fucking come out tonight!”

“Fine! Fine! I’ll fucking come!” Piper threw her hands up in surrender and gave Nicky a smile as she did a little happy dance on the spot. She knew that the cookies could wait a day. She just wanted to get a head start on all the Christmas baking. Piper had already been at the bakery for over eleven hours and didn’t know if she really could muster staying much longer. Her body ached from head to toe. She really just craved to sit down and eat something warm. She hadn’t had a proper lunch break or eaten anything other than broken cookies and cake all day. She knew if Diane was here, she’d be telling her to get her ass home as well.

“Nine o’clock, Chapman!”

And with that, Nicky was out the door, leaving Piper alone in the messy kitchen while Celine Dion wailed on in the background.

Xxx

Snow fell softly around Piper as she left her house and shoved her hands into her coat pocket. She let out a shiver as a cold wind suddenly blew harshly against her exposed face.

Piper usually liked the snow, especially at Christmas. She was a sucker for a white snowy landscape. But the cold air and wind made it all suck ass, to be honest. She swore underneath her breath as she made her way down the street and in the direction of Boo’s. She was quickly regretting her decision of not wearing a scarf or hat. She had chosen fashion over warmth, a decision her mother would most likely frown upon.

Piper hated to fuss with having too many belongings when she went out. If she had worn a hat or scarf or gloves, then she would most likely end up losing one or another or all three. She didn’t even bother with a purse nowadays. She just carried enough cash on her for a few drinks and her keys. Piper’s cheeks were red and wind-burned as she stepped into the establishment of Boo’s.

* * *

Alex headed straight to the bar first, before trying to locate Nicky and her crew. She figured this was the best-laid plan. She didn’t expect to be staying too long. She’d told her mom she wouldn’t be late, not that Diane cared really anymore what time she came home. She was a grown-ass woman. However, it felt strange to the brunette not to promise to be home at a certain time. Old habits die hard she guessed.

She pushed her way through the dimly lit club until she was at the bar. As she waited to be served, her eyes took a quick glimpse around the place. The club was just as she remembered it being, with it’s red painted walls and queer memorabilia plastered here and there. The only thing that was different this time was the arrangement of Christmas lights and other holiday decorations strung up around the room.

“What can I get for you, Suga?”

Alex turned her attention away from the ceiling, where a tasteful arrangement of red dildos had been glued together to mimic a chandelier, and onto the bartender. Alex had been expecting to be served by Big Boo herself like last time. However, instead of a big beefy butch of a woman with tattoos, Alex was greeted by a tall, beautiful drag queen dressed head to toe in sequins.

The brunette flashed the queen a smile in greeting before ordering two fingers of bourbon. She wanted something strong that she could sip on. She didn’t plan on getting drunk tonight, just a little buzzed.

“Comin’ up!”

After paying and receiving her tumbler of bourbon, the brunette turned her attention back onto the rest of the club. There wasn’t an empty table anywhere. Alex had to admit she was impressed. Not only was it a Thursday, but a cold snowy Thursday in December. Alex didn’t think any bars or clubs back in the city got this good of a turn out on a weeknight.

She took a sip from her drink, her green eyes still searching for the familiar wild mane of Nicky when someone else caught her attention. It wasn’t Nicky, but the beautiful angel known as Piper Chapman.

The corners of her lips turned up into a smile as she began to close in on her prey.


	3. Chapter 3

The club was loud and buzzing with conversation. 

Everyone in the bar was joyful and feeling celebratory. Boo’s was always a popular choice with locals on a Thursday night. Burlesque Nights were kinda legendary in Wentworth. However, there were more than just locals enjoying the club tonight. Tables were scattered throughout the place with folks from a few towns over or family members that were in town visiting someone local. It wasn’t uncommon to have a flex of population come in during the holidays. 

Piper was glad that the room was lively tonight. If it weren’t, she would surely have fallen asleep by now. She could feel the ache of her muscles with every single move she made. The moment she’d sat down in the worn red leather booth, she could feel her whole body sigh with exhaustion and she was fighting the urge to close her eyes and rest her head against the sticky table. Despite her exhaustion, she was happy to be there amongst friends. She smiled at something Nicky had just said, taking another slow sip of her mulled wine. The spicy, warm Christmas drink had seemed like a good idea when she ordered it- when she had just come in from the cold evening air and craved something warm. But now, the hot, spicy wine was making her even more tired than when she’d arrived. She’d forgotten how strong Boo made her homebrews sometimes. It was the mulled wine and the house “Hooch” that got her every time. 

As her mouth filled again with the taste of cinnamon and the dryness of wine, someone approached the table. She didn’t look to see who it was at first as Nicky’s booming voice greeted them. She figured it was just another one of their friends. They usually all hung out with the same crew on Thursday nights, most people coming from the bakery and few other local businesses.

“Hey Piper,” spoke a rasp of a voice suddenly very near her ear. 

Piper immediately turned and locked eyes with Alex who had taken the seat beside her in the booth. The blonde couldn’t help but smile with delight at seeing her. She hadn’t been expecting Alex, so this was a welcomed surprise to the night. Piper straightened her posture and tried to contain her excitement. 

“Hey,” she replied as casually as she possibly could before taking another sip from her drink. She looked briefly away from Alex and locked eyes with Nicky, who was smirking in amusement at her. Piper raised a questioning eyebrow at the other women. She had a feeling that Alex being there had something to do with Nicky’s meddling. Not that she was complaining really. She’d been hoping to spend some time with Alex away from the bakery but had no fucking clue really on how to do it without making it obvious that she was hitting on her. And now, here was her chance. It was like someone had sprinkled some sort of Christmas magic over them. 

Piper shifted in her seat, once again turning away from Nicky and that knowing grin on her face. This wasn’t the first time that Piper had been a pawn in one of Nicky’s matchmaking games. 

The blonde took a sip from her wine and tried not to let her surprise show as she felt the sudden heat of Alex’s thigh press up against her own. Normally, she would move over a little to maintain a certain distance, but she didn’t dare move an inch away from Alex. Of course not, because she’d fantasized about this intimacy, this familiarity far too often over the last few days. This was the closest she’d been to the brunette...ever. There wasn’t a counter or a table separating them now. They were pressed together from hip to knee. 

“What are you drinking?” 

“Hm?” Piper lowered her glass and dared to meet Alex’s eye. 

Alex smirked at Piper, a small laugh escaping from the back of her throat as she pushed a stray hair behind her ear and leaned in a little closer. “What are you drinking?” she repeated, with amusement in her eyes. 

“Mulled wine.” 

“Nice.” Alex held Piper’s gaze for a second longer, bringing her own drink up to her lips and taking a sip before shifting her attention to the conversation happening across the table. 

Piper sat back against her seat, watching as Nicky and Alex interacted like old school friends. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at how easy Nicky bantered with Alex. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the need of wanting that. Not to banter with Nicky, but with Alex. She wanted to tease and make the brunette smirk the way she was now as Nicky gave her a smartass remark over something. Piper was watching closely but wasn’t paying much attention to the actual content of the conversation. 

She slowly sipped her wine, enjoying the warmth of Alex’s body pressed up against her side, and tried not to melt as Alex’s rasp of a laugh echoed straight to her groin. 

“So, when did that happen?” came Alex’s voice, low in her ear. 

Piper tried not to look surprised that Alex was once again talking to her. “When did what happen?” 

“Them?”

Piper followed Alex’s head tilt aimed across the table, where Nicky had one arm wrapped around Lorna’s shoulder while her other rested on the table holding a beer. Lorna was curled into Nicky, playing with her hand. It was a position she’d seen so many times before on these weekly nights out that it had lost its’ newness a long time ago. But she guessed to Alex, an out of towner, it would seem an unlikely set up. 

“Almost a year or so now.” Nicky had always been a big flirt, especially with Lorna. But it wasn’t until last New Year’s that Lorna finally gave in to Nicky’s flirting and attempts to woo her. 

“I thought she had a fiance,” recalled Alex as she took a swig of her drink and glanced over at Piper. This wasn’t the conversation she imagined having with Piper when she first came over to the table, but the atmosphere was too loud to have a proper conversation. Plus, she still didn’t know where she stood with Piper. 

“Lorna? She did, but that ended ages ago. God, your gossip on the town is terrible. When was the last time you were here?” 

“I don’t know. I guess it’s been a fucking while,” Alex replied with a shrug and a small smile. 

A brief moment passed between them as they continued to look at one another before Piper lost her nerve and looked shyly away much to Alex’s disappointment. Alex continued to watch the blonde out of the corner of her eye as Piper took a sip of her mulled wine. 

Alex finished off her own drink and continued to use this time to study the blonde’s profile. Her hair was done in loose waves that fell just above her collar bone. She had on very little makeup besides mascara and blush. Her lips were stained red with wine and there looked to be a dab of blue food coloring on her neck. Seeing that little spot of color couldn’t help but make her smile. Suddenly, a vision filled Alex’s mind of Piper working away in the kitchen like Cake Boss, with colors and icing flying everywhere as she made a masterpiece of a cake. 

“So how long are you in town for?” 

“Mmm. Probably until New Years or so. I have to fly out to LA on the 3rd of January.” 

“Do you live out in LA?” Piper already knew this answer, but asked anyways. She wanted to get to know Alex better and just liked hearing her talk. The blonde turned in her seat so that she could face Alex better. She twisted her body in such a way that her leg remained pressed into Alex’s. She rested her elbow on the edge of the table, her eyes never leaving Alex’s face. 

“Not really. I am more based out of New York, but I do about three or four jobs out in California every year. “

“Your mom says you travel a lot.”

“Yeah, quite a bit.” Alex answered while finishing off her drink. “So what is this? Twenty fucking questions or something?” She teased, cocking an eyebrow at the blonde. 

Piper’s cheeks flushed in slight embarrassment, ”No.” 

"Can I get you another drink?" Alex asked in a low voice. She looked over the rim of her glasses at Piper. 

"Sure."

* * *

Someone on the stage was singing “All I Want For Christmas” as Piper made her way through the club to the bathroom. She’d seen Alex disappear there just a few moments ago herself. She didn’t really have to pee but was using this as an excuse to talk more to the brunette away from the music and noise at the front of the club. The show was only halfway through and as much as she usually enjoyed watching beautiful women strip, her attention was on something else tonight. 

Alex was the only one standing in the small, darkened hallway of the club, just outside the gender-neutral bathrooms as Piper arrived. 

Alex didn’t notice her at first as she was preoccupied with her phone. Piper chewed on her bottom lip and shoved her hands into the back pockets of her snug jeans. She was quickly having second thoughts about following Alex here. She stood there hovering awkwardly for what seemed like forever, debating whether to stay or hurry back to the table before Alex noticed her. 

"Hey," spoke Alex quietly as she turned off her phone and slid it into her jeans. She was both pleased and surprised to see Piper. Since returning back to the table with their second round of drinks, they hadn’t really had a moment to talk again. Shortly after asking Piper about her plans for the upcoming holiday, the show had begun and she never got to hear the answer.

"Hey. Sorry, did I interrupt something?” Piper asked taking a small step forward. 

"What? Oh no. I was just replying to a friends’ text. Nothing important. 

"Ok. Good." 

Just then, one of the doors opened and a person supporting reindeer antlers and red, shiny leggings emerged. They smirked at the two women in greeting before giddily whispering something about needing to get back on stage. 

"Go ahead," gestured Alex to the now available bathroom. 

"You were here first." 

" I don’t really need to go." 

"Me either," confessed Piper shyly. 

Alex raised a single eyebrow at this. She smiled at realizing that Piper had followed her here. 

"So...what did you really need then?" 

"I.. I just wanted to talk to you. We never did get to finish our conversation earlier." 

"Oh yes...about the holidays?

"I will be here.”

"Not going home?” 

"No. I was just there at Thanksgiving." For the Chapman family, Thanksgiving was a much bigger event than Christmas. Piper loved Thanksgiving and usually never missed it. Christmas, as much as she enjoyed it, it wasn’t as big of a deal if she didn’t go home every year for it. No, this Christmas she planned on spending the day alone, probably sleeping, or maybe head over to Nicky’s for a drink or two. It was going to be a low-key event this year and she wasn’t complaining. 

“So you’ll be around town then?” It was supposed to be a question but came out as more of a painfully obvious statement. 

Piper’s lips turned up into a small smile, her eyes sparkling. “Yes. I will be.” 

Somehow during this conversation, they had both moved somewhat closer to one another. They stood only a few inches apart, probably less than a foot between them. 

Alex took in a deep breath as she looked down and took in their close proximity. She could feel the racing of her heart as she tried to decide what she wanted to happen next. Piper had clearly sought her out and if she kissed her right now like she wanted to, she felt certain that the blonde wouldn’t push her away. But there was still that question of doubt floating in the back of her mind. 

Before she could decide what to do, Piper was making the decision for her. 

Alex’s eyes fluttered closed as she felt Piper’s lips brush against her own, ever so hesitant, ever so soft. Then just as quickly, her eyes flew open as she felt the loss of Piper’s lips against her own. Alex noticed that the blonde looked both intensely aroused and absolutely terrified.

Alex’s patience snapped suddenly. She couldn’t take this waiting any longer. She was drunk and unbelievably horny. She desperately wanted to kiss Piper and she did just that. She slid her hand through Piper’s hair, tightening it ever so slightly as she pulled Piper back to her mouth, kissing her urgently. Her body hummed with approval at the contact. 

Piper couldn’t help but gasp in surprise at the sudden hard press of Alex’s mouth against her own. She stood there for a second, letting Alex attack her mouth before finally kissing her back. Alex moaned into the kiss at this, pressing their bodies closer together in the darkened hallway. 

As the kiss grew, Piper allowed her body to relax and her hands began to explore. Her hands slowly traced up the ridges of the other woman’s spine through the silk of her top, one by one. This caused shivers to flow through Alex’s whole body. Piper rested her hands briefly against Alex’s upper back, just over the curve of her shoulder blades for a few moments before tracing back down, just as slowly, to grip the skin on her lower back.

Alex arched into the contact as she continued to kiss Piper desperately, thrilled to finally get to do what she’d been dreaming about doing since meeting the blonde. 

Alex moved her hands down Piper’s arms, feeling the toned muscles of her arms through the thin knit of her sweater before slipping underneath the edge of it. Her hands then pressed firmly into the skin of her hip bones as she held her closely in place against the wall while she slid a thigh between the blonde’s jean-covered legs. 

"I want you," she whispered pulling slightly away and staring Piper in the eye. 

Piper couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed like this, bodies flush together, limbs musty and tangled up against the wall, making out like a couple of randy teenagers. It's thrilling and filthy and dear God, so fucking good. Where the hell had Alex learned to kiss like that? Alex kissed like it was her job, with the kind of intensity that leaves people dazed and terrified and willing to follow her into Hell if that's what it takes just to feel it again. 

It was in that moment that Piper knew she was a goner. She would follow this woman to Hell and back, she thought as she stared back into those green eyes. 

“Let’s get the fuck out of here."

  
  


* * *

The wind blew harshly around them as they slipped out from the club entrance, one after the other. They didn’t exchange a word as they walked, side by side, through the snow-covered sidewalk. Alex wanted to talk and break this spell of silence that had spun itself around them, but the freezing wind was blowing so strongly against them that it made it hard to even breathe at times as they continued to walk against it. 

Man, she really fucking hated winter, she thought bitterly to herself as she shoved her hands deeper into the pockets of her leather jacket and ducked her chin as best as she could into her collar. Unlike Piper, she had worn a hat tonight, but it really didn’t help. The wind just continued to burrow further into her skin right down to the bone. 

“It’s not that far away now,” commented Piper as she looked over at her. 

Alex didn’t say anything in reply. She just gave a quick nod of her head before looking on ahead at the vast, snowy landscape that the town had suddenly become. 

They continued to walk in the cold for what seemed like an eternity, but it was really only five minutes or so. Piper wanted to say something to break the silence but she was too cold to think. And really, was she inviting Alex over just to talk? They had talked briefly at the club, but both knew where this was heading. 

“This is it,” she spoke as she came to a complete stop outside of a redbrick townhouse. 

Alex, who wasn’t expecting Piper to stop so suddenly, nearly lost her footing as she bumped into the side of the blonde. She automatically grasped onto the other women’s arm for support as gravity and her own feet betrayed her. 

“Fuck!” They both cried at the same time as they fell onto the sidewalk. Alex fell first, followed instantly by Piper. 

Time seemed to come to a complete halt as they both tried to catch their breath and make sense of what had just happened. They stared intensely at one another as their hearts pounded with excitement. In the mess of falling, Alex’s hands had somehow come to rest on Piper’s hips. Their faces were just mere inches apart as they continued to comprehend what was happening. This was the second time that night they had found themselves in close quarters like this. Breaths escaped in small frosty streams from rosy lips. 

Despite the cold and the wetness seeping into her jeans, Alex didn’t dare to move or let go of Piper, who had yet to move either. Blue eyes burned into green for a long second before lips were touching. This kiss was softer than the one at the club had been. It was less messy and feisty. 

It was like the gentle caress of a paintbrush across a canvas making a careful mark. Their lips opened and closed slowly against each other, exchanging hot air. Maybe it was the sensation of warmth against the chill of the winter air or the fact that they were sobering up. No matter the reason, they didn’t rush it. They took the sweet, painful time to explore and taste each other as they lay there pressed into the snow. This would be a decision they would regret later. Not the kissing part, but the staying outside part. 

The magic of the evening was broken a few moments later as a car alarm went off somewhere in the distance followed by the barking by a dog. 

Piper was the first to pull away as she moved to sit back on her ankles. She inwardly cursed as she felt the ache in her knees. She ran a hand through her snow-covered hair as she looked down the street as if to see someone watching them. However, the street was empty like it was on most nights. She took a deep breath before rising to her feet and offering her hand to Alex, who gladly took it. 

* * *

Piper’s bedroom was dimly lit by a single string of white Christmas lights woven around the iron rods at the head of the bed. The room was quiet and still as they both peeled off their layers of clothing and now stood staring at one another in just their underwear. 

Alex took a step towards Piper, eliminating the space between them. 

Piper held Alex’s gaze as she came forward, she didn’t dare to look away from those intense green eyes. They were dark with lust, never wavering away from her. Alex leaned forward and simply pressed her forehead into Piper’s

Piper immediately closed her eyes and breathed in the spicy warm scent of whatever Alex was wearing on her skin. The smell immediately reminded her of the mulled wine she’d had earlier. 

Alex’s hands traveled to Piper’s shoulders, playfully pushing down the straps of her bra. The brunette tilted her head and pressed a whisper of a kiss to her temple before traveling down to the outer shell of her ear. 

It wasn’t long before their mouths found each other again. A tiny sigh of pleasure escaped from the back of Piper’s throat as Alex’s lips moved against hers. The blonde’s hand immediately went to rest on the curves of Alex’s hips. 

They kissed slowly, each one deliberate. Alex roamed her hands up to the back of Piper’s neck and twisted her fingers into her blonde locks. She tugged roughly but not to cause pain. It was just rough enough to cause a jolt of excitement through Piper’s lower regions. It was there in the heat of that moment that things changed. Alex bit slightly on Piper’s lower lip, taking it between her own and sucking on it before her tongue came searching. 

Piper could feel her face flushing from the furnace kicking in, the warmth of their mouths against each other, and the feel of Alex’s naked flesh underneath her fingertips. It was too much and not enough all at once. She was torn between going slowly and milking the night out or moving quickly and burning out in a passionate fire. Luckily, Piper didn’t have to make this decision because it seemed Alex had ideas of her own. 

As their lips moved against each other, Alex unhooked the clasp of Piper’s bra and helped it slide down her arms to the floor. She tore her mouth away from Piper’s and began to attack the side of her neck, inhaling the sweet lingering scent of the bakery still clinging to her skin. She secretly loved this conclusion- that she smelled like sugar and cinnamon and everything nice. 

“Fuck, you smell like a cookie,” Alex whispered in between kisses as she traveled along the delicate curve of her collar bone to her shoulder. 

Piper felt the blush creep into her neck at hearing this. The smell of the bakery did tend to linger on her clothes after a long day at work. Usually, the sickly sweet smell disgusted her when she came home and smelled it on herself. So hearing that she still smelled like a bakery made her embarrassed. She didn’t want Alex to think she didn’t shower, because she had vigorously showered earlier before heading out again to the club. 

Before Piper could open her mouth and say something in defense, Alex was looking at her with that burning lust look in her eyes and smiling like a banshee, a sexy banshee. “It makes me want to eat you.” 

And with those seven words, Piper’s self-consciousness was gone. It melted away along with any self-control she’d had as she threw herself at Alex. She would never shower again if that’s what Alex wanted from her. She was deep under the spell of Alex Vause and she didn’t care. This all felt too fucking good to give it up. No matter if she regretted it later or not. Not only did she want to hear more filth come out of Alex’s rose-tinted lips, but she wanted Alex to do those dirty things to her too. 

As their mouths moved against one another, tongues dancing and searching, they moved onto the bed. With their bodies tangled together, hands and mouths continued to explore each other urgently. 

Alex then followed through with her promise. Starting at Piper’s neck, she kissed and licked her way down the center of her chest, a hand reaching out to play with a nipple as the other pressed into the mattress for support. Her eyes never wandered from Piper’s face, making sure she was having as good a time as she was. The blonde’s blue eyes were dark and dilated, making only a rim of blue showing in the dim light. Her hair was disheveled as she lay there amongst the pillows, panting slightly. She loved seeing a woman like this so worked up on the verge of sex. Maybe it was why she liked foreplay so much more than the actual sex part? She liked to tease and draw out the process as long as she could or as long as she was allowed to do so. She’d had partners in the past who liked to be teased mercilessly and others not so much. 

She blew a small breath of hot air against Piper’s stomach before running the tip of her tongue across her belly button. This earned her a slight giggle-slight moan from the other women’s parted lips. She smiled slightly into the soft peach fuzz of the blonde’s navel before repeating the movement. 

Piper tilted her head back against the pillows and closed her eyes as Alex’s mouth finally made contact with her cunt a few moments later. Her hands gripped the sheets as a quick wave of pleasure washed over her. The touch was sudden and unexpected, but so fucking good. The blonde’s legs fell open for Alex like a well-read book. Alex blew hot air through the thin material of Piper’s thong, before planting a kiss. Despite just beginning, Piper was already very aroused and embarrassingly wet. She whimpered out as Alex nuzzled her nose against the inside of her leg while her fingers roamed circles over the tops of her thighs. 

Piper couldn’t remember the last time she’d been like this with someone. It hadn’t been too long, like a year or anything crazy like that. She wasn’t a monk. But enough time had passed that she’d forgotten about it and the person apparently. It had been so insignificant that it had already faded in her mind. It hadn’t been anything like this, she thought as another unbelievable feeling of pleasure ran hot over her. 

Alex trailed kisses over Piper’s inner thigh before Piper was lifting her hips off of the mattress and pushing herself into Alex’s face, practically begging. The brunette couldn’t help but smirk as she lifted her head and locked eyes with Piper. Her blues eyes stared intensely back at her. The look of arousal painted across the blonde’s face was almost enough to make her come herself. It was so fucking erotic, so fucking unbelievably sexy, that she found she’d had to stop herself from slipping a hand in between her own legs and rubbing herself. Alex planned on coming, but not yet. It was too early in the night for this wonderful thing to come to an end. 

Alex licked her lips, flashing Piper a wolfish grin before once again positioning herself between her thighs. 

Piper willed her eyes to stay open, staring down at Alex as her mouth stretched over her cotton-covered sex and began to eat her out. Her body tingled as the tip of Alex’s tongue expertly licked at her clit through the underwear. Piper couldn’t help but moan and whimper as arousal spread through her like wildfire. This was fucking incredible, she thought. She knew if Alex continued on like this, she would be coming soon. But she didn’t want to, not yet that was. She didn’t want the spell to break just yet. Just a few moments longer…

So she willed herself to muster up some control and not turn to utter putty underneath the flatness of Alex’s tongue. 

Piper couldn’t help but moan out in appreciation as Alex tugged ever so slowly on the string of her thong, making it rub against her arousal. Alex’s eyes flicked up to watch Piper’s face as she then, ever so slowly, pushed a finger into her entrance. Piper flushed at the intensity of the gaze but did not look away. She gasped as she felt Alex’s finger slowly circle inside of her. She writhed with impatience at the slowness of it all. 

Alex smiled as she pushed her finger deeper inside of Piper’s wet, hot cunt and it earned her a moan of approval. The blonde immediately lifted her hips and thrust into Alex’s hand. She wanted her to go deeper, faster. 

“Another,” she begged. 

Alex pulled the finger almost all the way out and added a second on the way back in, her eyes moving along Piper’s body, resting on the blonde’s face for a few moments, before gliding down to stare at her body again. Piper writhed and pushed herself harder into Alex’s hand under the brunette’s intense gaze. A third finger was then happily added and Piper couldn’t help but cry out wordlessly as a fuzzy warm feeling filled her from head to toe. 

Alex continued to finger fuck Piper slowly for a few moments longer, watching Piper’s reactions intently before increasing speed. Tight, wet heat pulsed over her fingers as she continued to move them in and out. She could tell that Piper was getting close, but she didn’t want her to come just yet. 

Wetness swept over her finger, coating them as she pulled them out suddenly, making a slight popping noise as she did so. 

Piper rose up onto her elbows at this, a questioning look pressed into her brows as she stared at Alex, silently asking why she stopped? 

Alex just smiled and didn’t say a word as she shakily rose onto her feet onto the bed and removed her own undergarments, being careful not to fall before straddling Piper’s face. 

Piper didn’t need further explanation as she opened her legs wider at the same time as she looked up and ran her hands over the tops of Alex’s thighs to her ass. 

Piper can feel her heart racing by this point and she doesn’t know how much longer she’ll be able to last. She is so turned on and aroused that even the slightest touch will probably spill her over the edge. But seeing how soaking wet Alex is, who is practically almost dripping down her thighs, gives her new light. She is overcome with an urge to get Alex off as much as she wants to cum herself. 

She could feel Alex press her hot tongue to her swollen clit and groaned at the soreness when her tongue dips into her for a taste. Her groan soon came out as a moan as the edge of pleasure began again under the touch of Alex’s tongue. 

Alex has pulled Piper’s legs further apart and is holding them down with her hands as her head bobs between them with no intention of stopping until she's given Piper her reward. 

Piper moaned again before realizing what she is supposed to be doing. Her hands dig into the flesh of Alex’s cheeks before she lifted her chin and began to kiss between the brunette’s folds. She can't manage to do more at the moment but lap and feel Alex spilling down her chin. Her neck quickly begins to tremble from straining upwards, but she pushed through her fatigue. She knew she would definitely be feeling all of this in the morning, but the anticipation of what was to come next would make the soreness all worthwhile. 

The whimpered sobbing of Piper trying but crumbling as a result of Alex’s relentless mouth is such a turn on for Alex, that she fucking almost cums right then. She loves how vocal and undone Piper is at the moment. 

Alex sucked at Piper’s clit and Piper mindlessly mimicked the action. She drew circles with her tongue steadily and Piper, in reaction, flicked at the brunette’s hooded clit.

The way Piper mirrors her tongue drives Alex insane. Alex, in a way, is controlling her own pleasure. When she dips her tongue into her repeatedly, she can feel Piper muster the energy to lift her head up a little and do the same, building into a steady rhythm. Piper moaned into Alex’s cunt as a wave of pleasure washed over her, sending vocal vibrations throughout Alex’s core. The brunette shuddered involuntarily at this motion. God, her body was buzzing on the edge of an orgasm. But as much as she wanted to cum, she wasn’t entirely done having her way with Piper yet. 

Alex took in a sharp breath before bobbing her head up and down again, increasing her pace over Piper’s now swollen red clit. She doesn’t really expect Piper to match her touch this time as she can tell that the blonde is tiring. However, Piper takes Alex by surprise and matches her speed. 

Piper’s mouth and tongue are hot on her and what she's doing with that mouth works her closer and closer to the edge. When Piper shows some newly found energy and starts sucking on her clit rapidly, she forgets what she's doing entirely. Her hands loosen their grip on Piper’s thighs as she lifts her head back and groans with pleasure. 

Alex is, surprisingly, the first to give in and cum. 

She moaned as Piper dipped her tongue into her wet slit, tasting her and feeling as her walls tightened repeatedly around it. The blonde then begins to lick gently at the newly sensitive clit until Alex remembers what she was doing beforehand. With her breathing ragged and her heart racing, Alex focused her attention on making Piper scream. 

Piper closed her eyes and sensed what was to come next. However, it didn’t stop her from continuing to lick lazily at Alex’s cunt while focusing on the broad strokes of Alex’s tongue on her throbbing clit. Each swipe of Alex’s hot tongue across the hood of her clit sent shivers down her back and she could feel the pressure building in her stomach. She was so fucking close. Piper finally allowed her head to fall back against the pillows and a low moan escaped from her throat as her orgasm rippled through. 

  
  


* * *

The room was quiet except for the shifting of sheets as Alex mustered up enough energy to sit up.

“I should get going,” she stated as Piper propped herself up onto her elbows and stared at her. 

“It’s late.”

“My mom will wonder where I am.” It was half of a lie. Diane might wonder where she was, but not too much to stay up waiting for her. Alex was an adult for God-sake. She knew she could come and go as she pleased. However, she didn’t want to overstay her welcome. This was the very reason why she didn’t have one night stands often or if she did, she made sure to bring them back to her place. She hated being on the other side of things. 

“It’s snowing out. You can stay.” Piper didn’t want to appear too eager to have Alex stay over, but she had to admit she would be a little disappointed if the brunette didn’t take her up on her offer. Despite her tiredness and the need to get up early in the morning, she wasn’t ready to part ways with Alex yet. 

“I shouldn’t.” 

“But you can,” Piper continued to insist. 

“Fuck. We sound like that song.” Alex smirked as she reached for her glasses on the nightstand and shoved them on her face. 

“What song?” asked Piper. 

“That stupid song that people get offended over but really it’s not at all.. It’s Cold or something.” Alex explained as she began to search for her discarded clothes on the floor. 

“Oh! Baby, It’s Cold Outside! I love that song,” Piper announced as she got off the bed and handed Alex her shirt. 

“I should go,” spoke the brunette again as she took the shirt. She didn’t really want to go but felt like it was the proper thing to do. 

“Stay,” Piper insisted again as she tugged slightly on Alex’s shirt which she still hadn’t let go of.

“Fine,” sighed Alex. 

The two women shared a knowing look with one another before the shirt was, once again, dropped to the floor and glasses placed carefully back on the nightstand. 


End file.
